Paradise Lost
"Paradise Lost" is the 10th and 11th episodes of . It first aired on January 21 and 28, 2002. Plot After helping Superman to rescue a family during a hurricane, Wonder Woman decides that she has been away from Themyscira for too long. She arrives back, only to find that all her Amazon sisters have been turned to stone. She also finds sorcerer Felix Faust, who blackmails her into gathering certain artifacts for him. Since he is the only one with the power to restore her sisters, she reluctantly agrees. The rest of the League volunteers to help, and collect the artifacts, having to face several protective spells and magical guardians along the way. Batman researches Faust's background, and finds that he was a respected professor of archaeology, until he lost his position for dabbling in black magic. Wonder Woman realizes that Faust is working under the direction of Hades, the lord of the underworld, Tartarus. Her mother, Hippolyta, had a brief affair with the god. The gate to Tartarus is located beneath Themyscira, and the artifacts form a key that will open it. Wonder Woman insists that she has no choice but to give Faust the key. The other Leaguers insist on coming with her, and she reluctantly agrees. After she delivers the key, Faust restores Hippolyta to life, but then kidnaps her and stakes her out in front of the gate as it is opened. Lord Hades appears, and Faust demands what Hades promised him in return for his help: ultimate knowledge. Smiling, Hades touches Faust, who begins to age rapidly and scream in terrible pain. As Hades explains, "ultimately, pain and suffering are all anyone will ever know." Wonder Woman and the League appear, freeing Hippolyta and fighting against Hades and his demonic magic. By a slim margin, they manage to destroy the key, causing the gate to close and suck Hades and his minions back to Tartarus. Faust goes with him, and his spell on the Amazons is broken. But the victory is bittersweet, as Hippolyta has no choice but to exile Diana from Themyscira. By bringing men onto the Island, she has violated the Amazons' highest law. Background Information Production Inconsistencies * Why does J'onn J'onzz phase through Faust's energy bolts but not through the plant-tentacles? * In Part I, Wonder Woman enters the Athena Temple room from behind the throne, but in Part II she enters through a previously unseen glass doors in the entrance. * When Hippolyta is exiling Diana, Diana's bracelets change from silver to gold. * After defeating Ares, as the League walks down the stairs of the temple, there is a statue of J'onn J'onzz among the petrified Amazons. * In the end, the Flash puts on his golden leaf halfcrown backward, but in the next clear shot of him it is on the right way. Trivia * The title refers to "Paradise Lost," the famous poem by John Milton, chronicling Lucifer's banishment to Hell. It may also be a reference to "Paradise Island", the island Themyscira is built upon. * John Stewart and Hawkgirl do not appear. * The name of the newsstand that gets destroyed by Hurricane Gardner in the teaser is called "Bernie's News." This is presumably a reference to the Watchmen maxi-series, which features a newsstand with the same name. * "Hurricane Gardner" is presumably an nod to Gardner Fox, a long-time writer for Justice League comics. * This is the third time John Rhys-Davies has played a god. He played Thor, God of Thunder for the Marvel shows The Incredible Hulk and The Fantastic Four, and he also played Zeus in Goddess of Love. * The little blond girl (Cassie) who Wonder Woman saved in the teaser is presumably a nod to Cassie Sandsmark, a girl from the Wonder Woman comics who went on to become the second "Wonder Girl." The line about them not being sisters may be an in-joke to the fact that none of the "Wonder Girls" have ever been Wonder Woman's full sisters, but rather empathic ones. * When the Flash is dodging Faust's bolts, we can see reused footage of the episode "Speed Demons," more precisely the scene where the Flash jumps out of the underground tunnel and runs at the Weather Wizard. Cast Quotes Category: Justice League episodes